Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, January 3, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Adolph Whittler beat Frankie Talaber (2-0, dq) ... Purple Phantom beat Whitey Wahlberg (1-0) ... Stocky Knielson (as Nielson) beat Ike Cazzell (2-0) (sub for Don Serio) ... (promoter-Tim Nolan) ... NOTE: Whitey Whittler was billed as Adolph during this period to draw more heat. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, January 10, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (WJTM) Frankie Talaber* beat Adolph Whittler (2-1) ... Purple Phantom beat George Bruckman (2-0) ... Whitey Wahlberg beat Don Serio Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, January 17, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Purple Phantom beat Adolph Whittler (2-1) ... Stocky Knielson and Roy Allen beat George Bruckman and Whitey Wahlberg (2-1) ... Bill Young beat Joe Marconi ... referee-Ed Stranges Cambridge, OH: Sunday, January 21, 1945 (Fletcher General Hospital) ... Frankie Talaber, Great Mephisto and Joe Wolfe on card Zanesville, OH: Thursday, January 25, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (non title) Purple Phantom beat Frankie Talaber* (1-0) ... (tag team boxing) Roy Allen and Stocky Knielson beat George Bruckman and Whitey Wahlberg (2- 1) ... Don Serio drew Bill Cazzell (30:00) ... referee-Clete Kauffman ... NOTE: The Phantom was four pounds over the junior heavyweight limit. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, January 31, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Stocky Knielson beat Pierre LaBelle (2-1) ... Great Mephisto beat Purple Phantom (1-0, utc) ... Jules LaRance beat Clete Kauffman (2-0) (sub for Whitey Wahlberg) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, February 7, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Stocky Knielson vs Great Mephisto (no decision) ... Jules LaRance beat George Bruckman (2-0) ... Bill Cazzell beat Don Serio ... referees-Sam Saad and Don Serio ... NOTE: The main event ended with Knielson winning 2 straight falls. Mephisto lost the second fall with his foot caught in the ropes. Serio later ruled Mephisto the winner of the fall. The MWA ruled the match no contest because of no licensed referee. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, February 14, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Great Mephisto beat Stocky Knielson (2-1, cor) ... Whitey Wahlberg beat Jack Steele (2-1, dq) ... Jules LaRance beat Don Serio (2-0) ... referee-George Woodland Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, February 21, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Billy Thom beat Adolph Whittler (2-1) ... Jack Steele beat Whitey Wahlberg (2-1) ... Jack Vansky beat Jack Smithers Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, February 28, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Pierre LaBelle beat Martino Angelo (2-1, decision) ... Jack Steele beat George Bruckman (2-0) ... Jack Vansky beat Don Serio (2-1) ... referee-Clete Kauffman ... NOTE: Don Serio was Benito Gardini. There were 2 different wrestlers called Pierre LaBelle in this era. The Ohio one was Rene LaBelle. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, March 7, 1945 (City Auditorium) ... (WJTM) Pierre LaBelle* beat Billy Thom (2-1) ... Frankie Talaber and Whitey Wahlberg beat Jack Steele and Don Serio (2-1) ... Jack Cheney beat Henry Giamarco (30:00, dec.) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, March 14, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Ali Pasha beat Frankie Talaber (2-1) ... Pierre LaBelle and Whitey Wahlberg beat Purple Phantom and Jack Steele (2-0) ... Angelo Vittek (of Columbus) beat Joe Marconi (of Springfield) ... NOTE: Hard to read Vittek’s name. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, March 21, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (non title) Ali Pasha beat Pierre LaBelle* (2-1) ... Stocky Knielson and Jack Smithers beat Pierre LaBelle and Joe Kline (2-1) ... Sailor Devins beat Lon Chaney ... NOTE: In the tag bout, LaBelle subbed for Whitey Wahlberg and Kline subbed for Jules LaRance. Possibly Joe Kline was Lou Klein. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, March 28, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Frankie Talaber beat Ali Pasha (2-1, cor) ... Pierre LaBelle and Bill Cazzell beat Stocky Knielson and Jack Steele (2-1) ... Harold Sims beat Sailor (Flash) Gordon Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, April 4, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Ali Pasha beat Stocky Knielson (2-1) ... George Bennett and Jack Vansky beat Jack Steele and Don Serio (2-0) ... Henry Jamiel beat Flash Gordon Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, April 11, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Pierre LaBelle beat Billy Thom (2-1) ... Stocky Knielson and Jack Steele beat George Bennett and Jules LaRance (2-1) ... Jack Vansky beat Don Serio Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, April 18, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Pierre LaBelle beat Jack Steele (2-1, dq) ... Frankie Talaber and Whitey Wahlberg drew Jules LaRance and Adolph Whitter (60:00, 1-1) ... Jack Vansky beat Bill Cazzell (sub for Joe Loftus) ... referee-Clete Kauffman Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, April 25, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Ali Pasha beat Jack Steele (2-0) ... Martino Angelo and Stocky Knielson beat Pierre LaBelle and Whitey Wahlberg (2-1) ... George Bennett beat Angelo Vitali Zanesville, OH: Thursday, May 3, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (WJTM) Frankie Talaber* beat Jules LaRance (2-0) ... Jack Vansky and Jimmy Parker beat George Bennett and Jack Steele (2-1) ... Joe Vitali drew Henry Giamarco (30:00) ... NOTE: I don’t think this Vitali, whatever his first name, was the St. Louis wrestler who later became Big Humphrey. Zanesville, OH: Thursday, May 10, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Billy Weidner beat Ali Pasha (2-1) ... (ladies) Ann Laverne beat June Byers (2-0) ... Johnny Demchuk beat Jack Vansky (2-1) Zanesville, OH: Thursday, May 17, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Billy Weidner beat Pierre LaBelle (2-0) ... (ladies) Ann Laverne and Elvira Snodgrass beat June Byers and Irene Jordan (2-1) ... George Bennett beat Jimmy Parker (30:00, dec.) ... (last card of the season) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, October 10, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Irish Mike McGee beat Ali Alaba (2-1) ... Elmer Estep and Jules LaRance beat Jack Hobbs and Red Roberts (2-0) ... Jack Vansky drew George Strickland (30:00) ... referee-Jack Vansky ... (Att.-1,000) ... (first fall card) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday. October 17, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Gordon Hessel drew Irish Mike McGee (60:00, 1-1) ... Red Vagnone beat Elmer Estep (2-0) ... Red Roberts beat Bob Cummings (2-1) ... referees-Clete Kauffman and Sam Saad ... (matchmaker Fred Nolan, Tim’s son) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, October 24, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Gordon Hessel beat Pierre LaBelle (60:00, 1-0) ... Irish Mike McGee beat Stocky Knielson (2-0, dq) ... George Strickland beat Jack Hobbs (2-1) ... referee-Clete Kauffman Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, October 31, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Pierre LaBelle beat Jack Vansky (as Vanskey) (2-0) ... (boxing) Irish Mike McGee beat Stocky Knielson (ko-3 rounds) ... Whitey Wahlberg beat Jack LaRue (dq) ... referee-Clete Kauffman Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, November 7, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Gordon Hessel beat Pierre LaBelle (2-1) ... Gorgeous George beat Billy Venable (2-0) ... Jack LaRue beat Jack Hobbs (2-0) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, November 14, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (WJTM) Johnny Demchuk* beat Irish Mike McGee (2-1) ... Gorgeous George beat George Strickland (2-0) ... Gordon Hessel beat Jack Vansky (2-1) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, November 21, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (WJTM) Johnny Demchuk* beat Gordon Hessel (2-1) ... Whitey Wahlberg beat Gorgeous George (2-1, reversed decision) ... Jules LaRance beat Jack Smithers Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, November 28, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Ali Alaba and Jack Vansky beat Gordon Hessel and Whitey Wahlberg (2- 1) ... Ed Virag beat Jules LaRance (2-0) ... Sgt. Bob Cummings drew Mike Dimitri (30:00) Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, December 5, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Frankie Talaber drew Billy Weidner (60:00, 1-1) ... Gorgeous George beat Whitey Wahlberg (2-1) ... Jack Vansky beat Gordon Hessel (1-1, utc) ... referee- Clete Kauffman Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, December 12. 1945 (Auditorium) ... Frankie Talaber beat Jack Vansky (2-1) ... Great Mephisto beat Stocky Knielson (2-0) ... Whitey Wahlberg beat Billy Venable Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, December 19, 1945 (Auditorium) ... (WJTM) Johnny Demchuk* beat Billy Weidner (2-1) ... (LWTM) Milldred Burke* beat Rose Evans (as Roseanna Evans) (2-0) ... Great Mephisto and Frankie Talaber beat Martino Angelo and Stocky Knielson (2-1)... Billy Venable beat Mike Dimitri ... (8th annual Christmas wrestling show) ... NOTE: Knielson subbed for Gorgeous George, who was said to be snow bound in Detroit. Zanesville, OH: Wednesday, December 26, 1945 (Auditorium) ... Gorgeous George beat Great Mephisto (2-1) ... Jules LaRance beat Whitey Wahlberg (2-0) ... Whitey Wahlberg beat Jack Smithers (2-1) NOTE: The LaRance match replaced Gordon Hessel vs Leon Kirilenko who were weather bound. Both the Zanesville Signal and the Recorder were researched at various times. Research by Don Luce |
Zanesville Wrestling Results - 1945 |